[An investigational study of acne treatment in France]

Acne is one of the main reasons for dermatological consultation. Management may seem standardized, in particular for mild to moderate juvenile facial acne, where topical treatments are used for mild cases and topical treatments associated with systemic antibiotics are used for moderate cases. The aim of this investigational study was to evaluate current treatment approaches for mild to moderate acne patients by French dermatologists in private practice.

During this study, more than 252 dermatologists practising in over 144 French cities were asked about their preferred treatments (other than isotretinoin) for young acne patients. A questionnaire containing information about patient characteristics, disease severity and the prescribed therapy was completed by dermatologists at baseline and 2 months later.

In total, 3145 acne patients were analyzed. This study showed that in 53% of cases, dermatologists prescribed several topical treatments (up to three) associated with one or several systemic therapies (up to three), in addition to a cosmetic product. In 51% of cases, dermatologists prescribed only application of a dermatological cosmetic product for patients with very mild acne; in 41% of cases, a single treatment, especially a topical treatment, was prescribed for patients with mild acne, and in 59 and 64% of cases, two treatments (a combination of local and systemic therapy) were prescribed respectively for patients with moderate and severe acne.

This study demonstrated the complexity of management of acne patients by dermatologists, particularly in the case of mild to severe acne. Most notably, such therapeutic complexity raises the question of compliance, a key factor in successful treatment.